Is Snell ready to step up for Bulls?

The Bulls demonstrated once again they can look pretty good with their regular lineup starting intact, but it may not last long.

Mike Dunleavy returned for Tuesday's 104-86 win over Sacramento at the United Center, playing for the first time since suffering a right-ankle injury on Jan. 1.

With Dunleavy back on the floor, the Bulls improved to 13-3 when using their projected starting lineup of Dunleavy, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol.

Unfortunately, Butler sat out the second half against the Kings after aggravating a right-shoulder strain. He didn't practice Wednesday, and the timing isn't great. Next on the schedule is Thursday's showdown against Cleveland at the United Center, the last game before the NBA all-star break.

There is hope the Bulls have an adequate replacement to fill in for Butler if needed, though. Second-year swingman Tony Snell has made a remarkable transformation in the last week.

Snell scored a career-high 24 points against Sacramento, knocking down 9 of 11 shots overall and 4 of 6 from 3-point range. That outburst happened three days after he tossed in a season-high 19 points at New Orleans.

"Tony, he's huge," Derrick Rose said after Tuesday's game. "It's not surprising, not to me, because I see how hard he works. He shoots every day, first one to the gym. He deserves everything that's coming his way."

It's interesting to look at Snell's game-by-game production over the last three weeks.

He sat out consecutive games Jan. 16 and 17, then returned to the rotation and scored in double figures four times over the next six contests. Before that, he had only one double-digit scoring game this season.

But after Snell scored just 2 points at Phoenix on Jan. 30, coach Tom Thibodeau sat him again. The former New Mexico star received a "did not play, coach's decision" Feb. 4 at Houston.

Thibodeau was asked if there was a message he wanted to send Snell by sitting him down.

"Just coaching decisions, that's all," Thibodeau answered. "We need consistency from him. If he's consistent, he's going to play. You've got to base it on performance. You can't base it on anything but performance."

After sitting out against Houston, Snell took the court against New Orleans and looked like a different player. He shot 3-pointers without hesitation.

If he chose to drive, he exploded from the first step, something Butler also does well. Snell's facial expression even seemed different, like he was determined to finally end his inconsistent playing time.

Snell is one of the most quiet, calm people you'll meet. He took Tuesday's 24 points in stride.

"It doesn't matter to me if I get minutes or not," Snell said nonchalantly. "All that matters is I've got to stay ready. If I go in, just do the best I can. If not, cheer my team on and try to do the best I can."

As a rookie, Snell sometimes seemed to take his quiet personality onto the court. He showed plenty of skills but would glide instead of attack when he put the ball on the floor. That flaw in his game might have been corrected.

"It felt good. All the hard work I'm putting in the gym is paying off," Snell said. "Being in the game is getting me more experience, more confidence to go out there and play."

At 6-feet-7 with a huge wingspan, Snell also has the potential to be a very good defender. Whether he will end up matched against LeBron James on Thursday remains to be seen. But Snell appears ready for the next challenge, whatever it is.

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.

Bulls game day

Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center, 7 p.m.

TV: TNT

Radio: ESPN 1000-AM

Outlook: A two-week rest seemed to work well for LeBron James. The Cavaliers had won 13 of their last 14 games heading into Wednesday's home date against Miami. James is averaging 26 points on the season. PG Kyrie Irving is on a hot streak, averaging 25.6 points over the last 10 games. PF Kevin Love is at 17.1 points and 10.5 rebounds. The Bulls lost at Cleveland 108-94 on Jan. 19, early in the streak. It was the Cavs' first home game after adding SG J.R. Smith from New York and C Timofey Mozgov from Denver. The Bulls lost at home to Cleveland 114-108 in OT on Oct. 31.

Next: Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20

- Mike McGraw